Gail Brandon Obituary

Brandon
Gail Ann
Brandon
March 3, 1944
March 9, 2026

Gail Ann Brandon, 82, passed away peacefully in Pikes Peak Hospice on March 9, 2026, after experiencing heart failure. Gail was born on March 3, 1944 in Honolulu, Hawaii to parents Fred O. Young (d.1970) and Margaret R.(Smith) Young (d.1993). She was proud of the fact that several of her ancestors arrived in Hawaii in the 1860s, having sailed in wooden ships around Cape Horn from Germany and England. Her older brother, David A. Young died in a construction accident in 1978.
Gail graduated from Punahou School in 1962 and the University of Puget Sound in 1966, where she was an Art Major and a proud member of the Alpha Phi sorority. She married Lt. Thomas S. Brandon on Dec 29,1966 in Central Union Church in Honolulu, where the two had met in the youth group as high school juniors. Their children include Heidi, Scott (d.1972), Heather Kaczmarski (Jonathan), and Kate (Sita). Grandchildren include Jacob Ross, Miriam and Josiah Kaczmarski, and Sage Brandon. Tom's Air Force career took the family to assignments in Texas, Arizona, Louisiana, California, Colorado, and South Korea, with Gail filling the role of the ideal Air Force wife and immersing herself in the local culture and activities. She was an amazing "stay at home mom"; cooking healthy meals from scratch, supporting her children in every sport and hobby, and joining in countless family travel, ski, and camping adventures. During and after Tom's second career as a pilot with United Airlines, she enjoyed traveling extensively to Hawaii, New Zealand, Europe, South America, and Africa. Another high point of her life was designing her dream home in Colorado Springs.
The family treasures memories of Gail sharing with the grandchildren her love of music, art, and all things involving water. She was incredibly creative and enjoyed sewing, quilting, knitting and making Christmas ornaments. She was also a gifted artist, skilled at painting with watercolors and other media. She enjoyed painting beautiful individual cards for friends on birthdays and other significant events. For several years she enjoyed working in the Simpich Character Doll shop, painting the faces of their famous dolls. She also ran her own "dough art" company, selling pieces in many gift shops throughout Colorado.
Gail's journey through the various stages of dementia started in 2014, and included physical decline, gradual loss of her short-term memories and many of her artistic skills. Her memory of life-long girlfriends from Hawaii survived, aided by monthly Zoom meetings of the group they dubbed the Punahou Campers. Thankfully, She still recognized, knew, and loved the faces and voices of her family, Pastor, and church friends until her last days. Her loving smile and cheerful personality also remained intact, as did her ability to sing every song and hymn she had ever heard. She was still singing with the sopranos in the church choir the week before her passing. Gail's faith was strong and uncomplicated: she believed in God, that God was good, and that He had been good to her and her family. She reiterated these beliefs in her final days.
The family would like to thank the wonderful staff at the Goodwill Voyages program, the care providers at The Hemsley House at University Park, the doctors and nurses at CommonSpirit St Francis Hospital, and the amazing,caring staff at Pikes Peak Hospice for providing care and support to the family and Gail in the final stages of her life.
A Celebration of Life will be held at 11 am on Friday, March 27, 2026, at Calvary United Methodist Church, 4210 Austin Bluffs Parkway in Colorado Springs. A reception and lunch will follow. Aloha and Hawaiian attire are encouraged.
The Celebration of Life will be available live via Zoom at the following link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88516059112?pwd=SQQuaLRIksfyvOGpcRpla1HAQMk2xH.1
The Celebration will also be recorded and available on the Calvary United Methodist Church website: https://www.calvary-umc.org/page/other-videos-1
Most of Gail's ashes will be buried at the Air Force Academy Cemetery on a future date. The family will scatter the remainder on Mt Tantalus near her childhood home in Honolulu at a future date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to Pikes Peak Hospice: https://pikespeakhospice.org/give